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9.10.2012

Maine

Sometimes I think I know all there is to know about this guy.

(Eli, not the baby.) (The baby is Mia, and I definitely don't know all there is to know about her.)

But then last fall, Eli ran a half-marathon up in Newburyport and got a yo-yo at the finish line, and the next thing I know, he's shooting the moon in our living room. I married a man who can yo-yo. I had no idea.

Nor did I have any idea that this man, armed with a grill and the mantra "low and slow," can cook thirteen chops of lamb to rosy, tender perfection. This I discovered a couple of weeks ago, when we joined our friend Molly for the weekend in Maine.

Molly's parents have a house up there right on the Piscataqua River, and
from the backyard you can see boats and docks and a shed with the face of
an owl.

This is what the kitchen counter looked like a few minutes after we arrived. Between the two loaves of bread is a package of Jan's Farmhouse Crisps. They're our Official Summer Cracker of 2012, and early polls predict an uncontested bid for the fall title as well. Our Official Summer Cheese, in case you're wondering, is Twig Farm Washed Rind. We brought that up with us, too. Also: a jar of granola, a loaf of corn bread, a long crackly "flute" from Hi-Rise bakery (their version of pain à
l'ancienne), a jar of their apricot preserves, some pine nuts and Urfa pepper for a recipe we'd make one night, and a bunch of tomatoes.

Molly and I circled the market the first morning we were there. A band was playing, and these two sat and listened for a long time.

Have I ever told you that I'm not so into doughnuts? I'm not so into doughnuts.

I love this collection of photos and hearing about your getaway in Maine. I'm glad to hear that you make an exception for cider donuts, those little bearers of fall and all things leafy and orange and crisp are my favorite, and I'm not a big donut person either. And thank goodness brussels sprouts are on their way back, I missed them.

Shari - Those things have me in their grips. I actually have to ration myself when I open a new bag so that they'll last for more than a day or two. (They ain't cheap!) Let's share a bag soon. xo.

Shanna - Thank you! It was like that both mornings, so wet and white, before the fog burned off.

Talley - Leafy! Orange! Crisp! I smelled it in the air this morning, and I have to say, I'm ready. (Though not particularly looking forward to what comes after leafy, orange, and crisp...)

Molly - Yes, those cheeks are something else. About the eggplant dish: We set some aside for Mia before we added the pine nuts and I should tell you that I actually liked the spread better without them. Just FYI.

Molly B. - Yep. Lookin' good, lady.

Katie - Hi! You know, I hadn't taken a very close look at that bottle. (It was there when we arrived; we didn't bring it.) I don't even know what Laphroaig is! I'm off to the Google machine...

Jacqui - I can confirm that she is both of those things. The photos: Thanks! Got my Nikon FM2 out of the shop (finally) and this was my first roll "back." Feels like I got my eyeballs popped back into my head!

What a lovely little family you have......and what a coincidence that I just unearthed a stash of my (20-something) kids' baby things the other day; tiny tap shoes, boy's miniature Osh Kosh deck shoes, and little Halloween costumes I had sewn brought tears to my eyes. :)

Your photos are gorgeous; I am forwarding them to my husband, who is quite a wonderful, passionate photographer.....(who dreams of doing it full time).

Fall is definitely my favorite season (and my Sept. birthday). We've been going to the same family run cider mill (Hacklebarny Farms, NJ) since I was pregnant with my 27 year old daughter!

I, too, adore the arrival of the little prune plums; I eat them daily, and bake with them for Rosh Hashannah. I love the Marion Burro's plum torte recipe from the NY Tim es, but I'm always up for trying a new one, too.

what lovely pics. i am in totally agreement with you that cider doughnuts are the only type worth eating. i sure wish i could get some where i am currently living but alas can not. what is the farmhouse crisp? it looks good but not sure what is in and the link didn't describe it.

la domestique - You would have loved this market, then, Jess. There were at least three vendors selling them! Cider doughnuts, cider doughnuts. I'm going to need another one, soon.

Kelsey - Ha! The feeling is mutual, my friend. xo

Lisa - Tiny tap shoes? Oh my! What a box to unpack. Thanks for taking the time to leave such a nice note. Yes, Marian Burros's plum torte is wonderful. And have you tried her plum crumble? I'm moving swiftly through pound after pound of prune plums these days. I actually have a new plum cake recipe to share here and I was hoping to get it up before Rosh Hashanah, but now I'm aiming for sometime next week. Stay tuned! (And happy birthday to you.)

Anonymous - So many cider doughnut fans out there! Weird that there isn't a description of the crisps on the site. They're thin toasty little crackers filled with pistachios, pumpkin seeds, rosemary, and cranberries. Looks like you can order them from Cardullo's, here.

Sally - Thank you! The market was in Portsmouth, NH, not far from where we were staying in Maine.

Oh Jess, you brought tears to my eyes...I just moved back to Los Angeles from New Castle Island, just off Portsmouth...your photos bring back so many happy times! And I'm craving those cider doughnuts!!!

Love your beautiful blog and the glimpses of your lovely life and family you share...and your recipes! Love them too. the crisps also look lovely; I have not had those, but they look a bit Raincoast crisps. There are some very good recipes online for those that you might want to try sometime. All the best, and happy birthday Mia!

Oh Jess your trip looks dreamy! I have always wanted to go to Maine, and am hoping to make it up there when I go to my friend's wedding in Boston next Fall. I'm not so into donuts, either. Except the really good ones. And those sure look good. x